TECHNOLOGY HOW ONE HOTEL COMPANY IS LEVERAGING ITS APP DURING THE PANDEMIC. Contributed BY ELLIS BOOKER GOING L TOUCHLESS ike every hotelier, Provenance Hotels has been adjusting its operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic. After the Portland, Oregon-based com-pany closed several of its U.S. properties in response to state mandates or market forces, it reopened Villa Royale in Palm Springs, California, in mid-June, followed by Hotel Lucia in Portland, Oregon, and Hotel Preston in Nashville in early July. The reopenings were made possible, in large part, to an array of touchless technologies and re-imagined custom-er experiences. The strategy seems to be working. Villa Royale, a secluded, 36-room adults-only hideaway, was sold out for the first two weekends, with drive-distance guests coming from Los Angeles and San Diego. At Provenance, the heart of its digital approach is a “virtual concierge.” The face of the service is Paige, an illustrated avatar and persona. Paige is still being built out by Alice, a developer specializ-ing in guest-facing mobile apps for hotels, but the Provenance team explains Paige’s persona as “a creative and curious type, with a voracious appetite for learning,” and as a destination insider that can share recommendations and activities. According to Provenance executives, the platform will enable dynamic content in the form of efficient text messages among guests and hotel staff. It eliminates some paper products, such as 48 hotelsmag.com September/October 2020